Chocolate Quinoa Crisps are little mounds of dark chocolate goodness, filled with deliciously crunchy balls of toasted quinoa. They're healthy chocolate treats that take just minutes to make!
I don't post healthy recipes - Bonni Bakery is all about indulgence, but these chocolate quinoa crisps are so genuinely delicious, and just happen to be quite good for you, being made from just puffed quinoa, dark chocolate, and a pinch of sea salt. Plus they are ridiculously quick and easy to make.
These chocolate-covered quinoa crispies are the perfect bites to make for a last-minute DIY gift, a movie night snack, or a lunchtime sweet treat. And the flavor variations are endless so you can customise how ever you like!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Chocolate Quinoa Crisps Recipe
- Chocolate Quinoa Crisps Ingredients
- How to Make Quinoa Chocolate Crisps
- Quinoa Chocolate Crisps Recipe Tips
- How to Make Crispy Quinoa
- Dark Chocolate Quinoa Crisps Variations
- How to Store Homemade Chocolate Quinoa Crisps
- Dark Chocolate Quinoa Crisps FAQs
- More Chocolate Treats
- Recipe
Why You'll Love This Chocolate Quinoa Crisps Recipe
- Incredibly quick and easy, perfect for a last-minute homemade gift.
- Guaranteed crispiness from toasting the puffed quinoa.
- A healthy, vegan sweet treat bursting with texture and flavor.
Chocolate Quinoa Crisps Ingredients
This recipe requires just 3 simple ingredients - be sure to read this section closely, as the texture of the quinoa is super important for making the crisps extra crunchy.
- Quinoa - This must be puffed quinoa, meaning it has been heated under high pressure until it puffs, kind of like popcorn! This process is not easy to do at home with raw quinoa, so I recommend buying online or at the grocery store.
- Chocolate - A good-quality dark chocolate goes beautifully with the toasted quinoa, but you can use whatever kind you like. Be sure to steer clear of candy bars and chocolate chips, as they are designed not to melt.
- Sea Salt - It's optional, but so worth it! Flakes of sea salt bring out the flavour of the dark chocolate and add a nice bit of contrast.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Recommended Equipment
- Frying Pan
- Microwaveable Bowl
- Wooden Spoon - Or spatula.
- Baking Sheet
How to Make Quinoa Chocolate Crisps
You're just a few minutes away from making some deliciously crunchy chocolate magic!
Toast the Quinoa
Inspect your quinoa by feeling and tasting it to see what the texture is like - we want it to have a crispy texture for a proper crunch. I find a lot of puffed quinoa is a little chewy after being packaged, so I have added in a step to toast it, making it lovely and crisp. If your puffed quinoa is already perfectly crispy, you can skip this step.
Place the puffed quinoa in a dry frying pan and toast for a few minutes, just until they dry out and start to get crunchy. This step is optional, but it ensures that your quinoa crisps are extra crunchy and not chewy.
Melt Chocolate
Chop up the chocolate finely and place ⅔ of it in a plastic bowl. Microwave it in 30-second bursts, giving it a good stir in between, until the chocolate is completely melted.
Place the remaining third of the chocolate into the bowl and stir it in vigorously with a spoon until melted. This works best if your chocolate is finely chopped, but if you are left with any unmelted lumps, you can just remove them, leaving you with a smooth consistency.
Combine
Pour the toasted quinoa into the melted chocolate, and sprinkle in the sea salt. Mix everything together until the quinoa is completely coated in the delicious chocolate.
Form Crisps
Scoop out teaspoon-sized dollops of the chocolate quinoa mixture and place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use the back of the spoon to press them down into flat disks.
Chill
Chill the quinoa crisps in the fridge until they are totally set - this will take around 30 minutes.
Quinoa Chocolate Crisps Recipe Tips
Not much can go wrong in this easy recipe, but there are still a few helpful tips and tricks that are really helpful to know before you start baking.
- Use the correct chocolate - Although it's tempting to reach for that leftover candy bar, it's important to use real, high-quality chocolate for this recipe. Chocolate chips and candy bars have ingredients that stop them from melting and setting properly, which is the opposite of what we want to happen! A good-quality bar of chocolate makes all the difference.
- Toast the quinoa - It's worth the extra step! A lot of recipes skip toasting the puffed quinoa and use it straight from the packet. I find that the crunchiness of the quinoa can be quite soft and chewy if it's been stored for a while, so it's always best to toast it in a dry pan before you combine it with the chocolate.
- Lazy temper the chocolate - Want to avoid your crispy chocolate quinoa bites melting in your hands? Lazy tempering is the way to go. This is a hassle-free and thermometer-free tempering method that gives you a gorgeous, glossy, crisp finish that won't melt in seconds. You can see my post about how to temper chocolate for details on the benefits.
- Press the crisps down firmly - When forming your crisps on a baking sheet, give them a firm press down with the back of a spoon to give you strong and sturdy chocolate quinoa crisps.
- Extra flavors - I know this isn't technically a tip, but it's so worth mentioning! It's super easy to add in spices, fruits, nuts, or any flavors your tastebuds desire to these dark chocolate quinoa crisps to change up the flavors completely. Take a look at the variations section of this recipe to get some inspiration!
How to Make Crispy Quinoa
The key to perfectly crunchy quinoa crisps lies in the quinoa itself. Puffed quinoa can vary in texture depending on how fresh it is, and the last thing we want are crisps that aren't crispy!
My go-to method for guaranteed crunch? Toast the quinoa in a dry frying pan before mixing it into the chocolate. It’s a simple extra step that makes all the difference.
Most recipes skip this and go straight from packet to bowl, but I’ve found toasting to be the most reliable way to get those light, crispy pops in every bite. You can skip it, but if you’re after truly crisp quinoa crisps, it’s worth the few extra minutes.
Dark Chocolate Quinoa Crisps Variations
This is one of my simplest recipes, so adding in some extra flavor or changing up the process a little is absolutely encouraged! I've made a list of a few suggestions I think will take this crunchy treat to the next level:
- Extra Crunch - Add in some chopped nuts or seeds for an extra crunchy addition.
- Chocolate Orange - Grate orange zest to the chocolate to create chocolate orange quinoa crisps.
- Different Chocolate - I love making dark chocolate quinoa crisps, but you could try milk chocolate or white chocolate if you have more of a sweet tooth.
- Dried Fruit - Dried cherries or raisins will give your quinoa crisps some chewy sweetness.
- Different Shapes - The chocolate quinoa mixture can be pressed into muffin tins for chunkier bites, or into molds to create some cute shapes - try love heart molds for a Valentine's gift!
- Chocolate Quinoa Bark - Spread your mixture out into one big flat even layer on the baking sheet, then once chilled, break it into bite-sized pieces of delicious chocolate bark. It's the easiest homemade chocolate bar!
- Flavors - Add in some honey and/or spices to your quinoa crisps to create some lovely new flavors, or a dollop of peanut butter for a nutty flavor.
How to Store Homemade Chocolate Quinoa Crisps
Store your dark chocolate sea salt quinoa crisps in an airtight container at room temperature, or in the fridge, depending on your personal preference.
Dark Chocolate Quinoa Crisps FAQs
If you have a question about this recipe that isn't answered here, feel free to write it in the comment section, and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
The chocolate is smooth and rich with just the right amount of sweetness, perfectly balanced by the toasty, slightly nutty flavour of the puffed quinoa and the sprinkles of sea salt.
Yes, these chocolate quinoa crisps are a healthful alternative to most chocolatey snacks. The quinoa is packed with protein and fibre (especially if it's organic), whilst the high-quality dark chocolate is vegan, low in sugar, and includes various health benefits.
For this recipe, I would recommend buying pre-puffed quinoa. It requires heating under high pressure, which is difficult to do with at-home equipment, so for the sake of this being a minimal-effort dessert, I would avoid trying to do it yourself.
More Chocolate Treats
Are you a chocoholic like me? Try these tasty treats:
Recipe
Chocolate Quinoa Crisps
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups Puffed Quinoa 140g
- 7 oz Dark Chocolate 200g
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
Instructions
- Check your puffed quinoa. In order for the quinoa crisps to be crunchy, it needs to be crisp, but I find a lot of brands of puffed quinoa are more chewy than crisp, so I added a step to toast it to make sure it is lovely and crunchy. If your quinoa is already perfectly crisp, you can skip the toasting.
- Put the puffed quinoa in a dry frying pan over medium heat, stirring frequently for a few minutes until it is dried out and crispy. Do not let it burn.2 cups Puffed Quinoa
- Chop the chocolate finely and place ⅔ of it in a plastic bowl. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring well in between, until it is totally melted.7 oz Dark Chocolate
- Add the remaining third of the chocolate to the bowl and stir it in vigorously with a spoon until melted. This works best if your chocolate is finely chopped, but if you are left with any unmelted lumps, you can just remove them.
- Pour the toasted quinoa into the melted chocolate along with the sea salt and mix everything together until completely coated.½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- Scoop out teaspoon-sized dollops of the mixture and place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use the back of the spoon to press them down into flat disks.
- Chill until set - about 30 minutes.
It really helps and I love hearing all your feedback!
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